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| Environmental Technology Listing |
Title of Listing: | | NITON XL Spectrum Analyzer |
Category: | | Characterization Technologies |
Subcategory: | * | Air, Waste, Soil, All Listings |
Media: | | Soil, Solid, Sludge, Sediment, Air Particulates |
Contaminants: | | Heavy Metals, Radioactive Metals, Explosives |
Web Site: | | |
Email: | | |
Technology Description: | |
The Nitro XL Spectrum Analyzer is a hand-held, field portable x-ray fluorescence (FPXRF) instrument. The XL allows in-situ or intrusive measurement of major metallic elements in paint films, soils, alloys, and other media. NITON Corporation originally designed the XL for rapid, accurate, nondestructive measurement of lead painted surfaces. NITON has since found several applications for the technology, including analysis of heavy metal contaminants in soil, dust, sediment, ash, and other bulk media, as well as airborne metals deposited on sampling filters.
The NITON XL includes a cadmium-109 radiation source (10 mCi) to provide primary x-rays for exciting fluorescent silicon PIN-diode x-ray detector, cooled for low noise operation by a Peltier effect device. The instrument also includes a multi-channel analyzer of 1024 channels with graphic display, an RS-232 serial data port, and an internal memory for storing up to 500 measurements with spectra. The instrument calibrates its energy scale internally. The XL uses a patented method for compensating for the attenuation low energy lead L x-rays by overlaying paint films, yielding reliable, precise, high sensitivity measurement of lead on painted surfaces. For bulk homogenous media, the XL applies a Compton backscatter technique to compensate for x-ray absorption in the sample. The instrument is equipped with a removable rechargeable battery pack that provides up to 8 hours of continuous operation. The XL can analyze hundreds of samples in an 8 hour day, based on 5-to 60-second analysis time and minimal sample preparation. The complete instrument weighs less than 3 pounds.
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Performance Status/
Limitations: | |
Performance Status:
The NITON XL was originally developed as an analyzer for lead on painted surfaces, and introduced to that market in 1993. Its small size, low weight, good resolution, sensitivity, and low cost have made it attractive for a variety of other applications in environmental sciences, occupational health and safety, metallurgy, mineral exploration, forensics, and general industry. NITON is currently introducing the soil and bulk dust analysis application. Future applications include analysis of air sampling filters and surface wipe samples, and metal alloy identification.
Limitations:
While the NITON XL can measure a number of metallic elements in soil or other media, it cannot measure them all equally well. Since it contains a single radiation source (cadmium-109), the XL cannot achieve low detection limits for cadmium or chromium, for example. High concentrations of some elements with x-ray lines near energy, as is the case with arsenic in the presence of high concentrations of lead. In general, XRF cannot distinguish among chemical forms of the contaminant, or determine leachability. The most accurate measurements require sample preparation that includes drying, grinding to a powder, and sieving.
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Topics
Technologies, Characterization
Additional Topics/Tags/Keywords
X-Ray Fluorescence, Monitor, Heavy Metals |
Organization: | | Niton Corporation |
Address: | | 74 Loomis Street
| Phone: | Description | Number |
City: | | Bedford | | Primary | (617) 275-9275 |
State/Province/Territory: | | MA | 2. | | |
Zip/Postal Code: | | 01730 | 3. | | |
Country: | | United States | 4. | Fax: | (617) 275-2397 |
Branch Locations: | |
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